Macroalgae and nitrate level

[Ivan Stoiljkovic]

Hey good people,
Is there a known level of NO3 that is fueling the growth of macroalgae the best?
And what is the cut off point?
When all the macros start dying off, and micros take over with all the nasty and slimy stuff

I know that flow and amount of NO3 favor different species...

I have tried google with no luck

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Macroalgae growth and nitrate levels are not a straight correlation. Many macroalgae species are capable of pulse uptake where they can rapidly uptake very high quantities of nitrates from the water column. It goes through this hoarding behavior to "steal" resources from opportunistic nuisance algaes.

It's more important to provide the right environment for the macroalgae to grow, instead of trying to focus on keeping nutrient levels at a certain point.

 

[Miller535]

Hey good people,
Is there a known level of NO3 that is fueling the growth of macroalgae the best?
And what is the cut off point?
When all the macros start dying off, and micros take over with all the nasty and slimy stuff

I know that flow and amount of NO3 favor different species...

I have tried google with no luck

What are you NO3 and PO4 levels. And it sounds like you are having nuisance algae problems, if you are what kind?

 

[Ivan Stoiljkovic]

When algae bloom starts, your NO3 level goes to 0 and it starts killing off all macros.
If you manage to break the bloom cycle I would guess that NO3 level will be between 50 and 100
Reducing it even more you go through phases of various slimy algae that still prevent good macros to grow.

That is why I was researching for the breaking point

 

[sixty_reefer]

What macro algae you trying to keep? It’s not all about no3, if you trying some of the more appealing to the eye? Some have different light and trace needs.

 

[Ivan Stoiljkovic]

I tried 4-5 different macros, we are not talking small and trace needs. We are talking big picture.
They all stop growing at a certain level of NO3